IRELAND

Dublin commuters to receive 'I'm Sound' badges for safe and considerate road behaviour

Dublin commuters to receive ‘I’m Sound’ badges for safe and considerate road behaviour

Dublin City Council has launched an innovative campaign rewarding commuters with special badges for demonstrating “sound” behaviour, targeting cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers who prioritize safety and consideration for others. The “Be Sound This Summer” initiative features roving “Soundness Detectors” who will patrol the city identifying and rewarding positive road user behaviour with distinctive “I’m Sound” … Read more

Ireland's first new nursing school in two decades opens at Maynooth University this September

Ireland’s first new nursing school in two decades opens at Maynooth University this September

Maynooth University will welcome its first nursing students in September, marking Ireland’s first new nursing school establishment in over 20 years following official approval from the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland. The new BSc in General Nursing programme will accept applications through the CAO’s ‘Available Places’ facility from August 28th, with an initial intake … Read more

Justin Kelly appointed new Garda Commissioner to replace Drew Harris in September

Justin Kelly appointed new Garda Commissioner to replace Drew Harris in September

Deputy Commissioner Justin Kelly will become Ireland’s new Garda Commissioner on September 1st, succeeding Drew Harris who retires after seven years leading the force, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan announced. Kelly, currently serving as Deputy Commissioner since October 2024, has been appointed for a five-year term following what O’Callaghan described as a “suitably rigorous” selection process … Read more

Anti-social behaviour on Irish Rail services surges 50% as transport police plans remain delayed

Anti-social behaviour on Irish Rail services surges 50% as transport police plans remain delayed

Irish Rail reported a 50% increase in anti-social behaviour incidents last year, with 1,523 reportable cases compared to 1,023 in 2023, intensifying calls for dedicated transport police to address rising safety concerns. The dramatic rise from just 548 incidents in 2021 reflects both increased problematic behaviour and enhanced detection methods. Irish Rail categorizes incidents using … Read more

Quarter of Irish doctors work over 48 hours weekly as over 1,000 leave for overseas positions

Quarter of Irish doctors work over 48 hours weekly as over 1,000 leave for overseas positions

One in four Irish doctors are working more than 48 hours per week, while over 1,000 voluntarily left the medical register in 2024 to practice abroad, according to a new Medical Council report highlighting critical workforce shortages. The study found that nearly half of those working excessive hours are providing direct patient care beyond the … Read more

Supervalu and Tesco salad products recalled following second Listeria outbreak

Supervalu and Tesco salad products recalled following second Listeria outbreak

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has ordered the immediate recall of seven salad product lines from major supermarkets after detecting Listeria bacteria, marking the second significant outbreak within days. The recalled products, all produced by McCormack Family Farms, include various spinach and mixed leaf salads sold through Supervalu, Tesco, and other retailers. Affected items … Read more

Taoiseach welcomes EU-US trade deal despite 15% baseline tariff agreement

Taoiseach welcomes EU-US trade deal despite 15% baseline tariff agreement

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has welcomed a new trade agreement between the European Union and United States that establishes a 15% tariff on most EU imports, following Sunday’s meeting between President Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The deal, reached after months of intensive negotiations, provides what Martin described as “clarity and predictability” … Read more

Half of Irish councils suspend anti-eviction scheme as funding disputes leave families in Limbo

Half of Irish councils suspend anti-eviction scheme as funding disputes leave families in Limbo

More than half of Ireland’s 31 local authorities have suspended or are about to halt the Tenant in Situ scheme, leaving over 300 households facing eviction in uncertainty as funding disputes escalate between councils and the Department of Housing. The scheme allows tenants to remain in their homes when landlords decide to sell, with councils … Read more

Martin's promise to double renters' tax credit would cost state €160 million annually

Martin’s promise to double renters’ tax credit would cost state €160 million annually

Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s pre-election pledge to double the Renters’ Tax Credit to €2,000 would cost the Exchequer €160 million annually, according to Department of Finance advisory documents. The Tax Strategy Group papers reveal varying costs depending on the scale of increases to the current €1,000 per person credit. A modest €100 increase for single people … Read more

Ireland has longest outpatient waiting times among comparable countries, report reveals

Ireland has longest outpatient waiting times among comparable countries, report reveals

A previously unpublished Department of Health report has found that Ireland has the longest outpatient waiting times among analyzed countries, despite improvements in managing pandemic backlogs. The internal report, completed in November 2024 and obtained through Freedom of Information, compared Ireland’s healthcare performance with countries including Norway, Spain, Canada, Poland, England, Wales, Scotland, and Finland. … Read more

EU-US trade agreement remains uncertain despite Harris's cautious optimism

EU-US trade agreement remains uncertain despite Harris’s cautious optimism

Tánaiste Simon Harris has expressed “cautious optimism” about reaching a trade agreement between the European Union and United States in the coming days, though significant uncertainty remains around the negotiations. Government sources have indicated renewed hope that a comprehensive trade framework agreement could be finalized before the weekend, marking a potential breakthrough in transatlantic commercial … Read more

Homeless support group reports deliberate attacks on rough sleeper tents across Dublin

Homeless support group reports deliberate attacks on rough sleeper tents across Dublin

A homeless support organization has condemned a series of attacks on tents used by rough sleepers in Dublin, describing the incidents as “deliberate hate crimes” rather than random vandalism. Streetlink Homeless Support documented multiple cases of tents being deliberately slashed open across four separate areas of the capital, raising serious concerns about targeted violence against … Read more

TV licence revenue plunges €58 million following RTÉ financial scandals

TV licence revenue plunges €58 million following RTÉ financial scandals

Television licence fee revenue has fallen by over €58 million in the two years since financial scandals engulfed RTÉ, with more than 365,000 fewer people paying the annual €160 charge. New parliamentary figures reveal the dramatic impact of the summer 2023 controversies on public trust in the national broadcaster. Revenue dropped from €306 million between … Read more

Dublin's first static speed camera goes live next week in Dolphin's Barn

Dublin’s first static speed camera goes live next week in Dolphin’s Barn

Dublin city will introduce its first static speed camera next Friday, with the new safety device becoming operational on Dolphin’s Barn from August 1st at 12pm. The camera will be positioned alongside the Maxol garage on Crumlin Road in Dublin 12, marking a significant milestone in the capital’s road safety enforcement strategy. The location was … Read more

Flogas Increases Electricity Prices by 7% Starting Next Month

Flogas increases electricity prices by 7% starting next month

Energy supplier Flogas has announced a 7% increase in electricity charges for residential customers, taking effect from August 25th, adding approximately €126 annually to household energy bills. The price hike will cost the average residential electricity customer an additional €10.51 per month, though natural gas customers remain unaffected by the changes. Flogas defended the increase … Read more